The Man Who Brought Down the Berlin Wall

Gunter Schabowski was an official of the Social Unity Party in communist East Germany. He was famous for accidentally beginning the destruction of the Berlin Wall.

On November 9th, 1989, Schabowski famously announced in a live-broadcast international press conference that (effectively) all rules for travelling abroad were lifted, in effect "immediately". However, the misunderstanding was only with regards to the date; the plan had been to lift the rules, found unsustainable after the mass defections via Hungary and Czechoslovakia, on the next morning.


Tens of thousands of people immediately went to the Berlin Wall where the vastly outnumbered border guards were forced to open access points and allow them through, which proved to be the end of the Wall regime. During the following purges of the "old guard", Schabowski was quickly thrown out of the SED, which now morphed into the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), even though earlier in 1989 he had been awarded the party's prestigious "Karl Marx" medal.

After the German Reunification, Schabowski became highly critical of his own actions in the GDR and those of his fellow Politburo members, as well as of Leninist-style socialism in general. As of 2004, he remains the only really high-ranking GDR official that has renounced that state as fatally flawed. He worked again as a journalist and editor for a small local paper between 1992 and 1999. His campaign help for the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) has caused some of his former allies to call him a Wryneck.

Military Honors for President Cory Aquino

President Cory Aquino's family did not opt to have a state funeral for their mother but the Philippine military gave full honors nonetheless. She was given a 21-gun salute, a ritual given by the military during funerals of Philippine presidents.

The gun salute involved volleys fired at one-minute intervals until it reached the 21st. The military did this in 4 military camps in Metro Manila: the Philippine Navy Headquarters in Roxas Boulevard; the Army Headquarters in Fort Bonifacio; the Airforce Base in Villamor; and, at the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Camp Aguinaldo.

There was also a firing of volleys on Saturday, August 1, the day President Aquino's death was announced. Brawner said the the ritual started at 8 a.m. with 8 volleys fired. Thereafter, a volley was fired at 30-minute intervals until sundown.

This military custom was carried over from the battlefield. Warriors then temporarily ceased fighting to tend to the dead. The volleys signaled that the burial party was ready to resume battle.

Flags in military camps are also at half-mast for 30 days, as dictated by the military's manual, according to Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, spokesperson for the Philippine military.

Source

Material for Sepoy Rebellion

An article from Yahoo! News gave me an idea about a motivational activity in the classroom for the Sepoy Rebellion.

Lesson Development:

1. Give students a copy of the article, Sikh soldiers guard Queen Elizabeth II.
2. Ask students to summarize the article in their own words.
3. Ask students if they are surprised to learn that Sikh soldiers are still employed in the Queen's army.
4. Ask students why they think there are Sikhs in the British army.
5. Ask students what is India's relation to Britain before the First World War.
6. Ask students why the numbers of Sikh soldiers dwindled in the British army.
7. After students give their ideas, discuss Britain's colonial rule and policies in India. Discuss also how Indians react to British colonialism and its results.
8. Synthesis Activity: What changes occurred in India during British occupation? How did those changes led to the Sepoy Rebellion?
9. Assignment/Research: Looking at the picture above, why do you think Sikhs continue to serve the Queen even after Indian independence?

Ancient World Game

Spiritual Summer Camp 2009

And it came to an end.

July 24 was the culmination of the Spiritual Summer Camp at St. Michael's Church in Sharjah, UAE. There were more than 500 children and young adults who took part in the activity which included role-playing, singing and dancing on stage and classroom activities. I had a wonderful time meeting other teachers, volunteers and kids. From that experience I gained a lot of insights about myself as a teacher, as a person and as a child of God.


As a teacher, I learned how to effectively relate with younger kids. You must have a playful yet firm disposition towards them in a classroom. You must facilitate games; encourage them to participate in the discussions; and guide them in doing the coloring page, crossword puzzles and arts and crafts. You have to be very patient and understanding with them, carefully pointing out misbehavior and how they can change it at the same time praising their good works.

As a person, I learned about my limitations and strengths; about what I can offer and what I need help on. I appreciate other people's generosity and self-giving. In this regard, I admire all the hard work of my fellow teachers and volunteers in ensuring the success of the activity. Every one was cooperative and friendly. Every one was generous in helping one another.


As a child of God, my conviction to remain obedient, faithful and trusting in God's plan is affirmed. The lessons on the lives of the prophets and the apostles reminded me that God blesses abundantly those who follow Him. While hardships and trials may come our way, His mercy and grace, consoles and guides determined followers to the righteous path.


With this, I am grateful to the people I've met: the teachers of Matthew classes (Ms. Jessie, Ms. Pramila, Ms. Susan, Ms. Lara, Ms. Sweatlana, Mr. Lionel, (To others whom I met but whose names I can't recall, my apologies), the priests who organized and facilitated the meetings (Fr. Xavier and Fr. Dinesh) and to all the wonder kids of the SSC, Thank you all!

I look forward to volunteering next year and perhaps, bring friends to assist as well.

My Teaching Philosophy

Seven years ago when the president in my former school gathered all the new teachers and asked why we chose to teach; I gave an uncommon answer. For me, teaching is a vocation. It is God’s invitation to be holy and a call to be a living witness of His love and mercy to others. More than attaining personal sanctification, teaching is my means of helping create a better society. I believe teaching is an effective means of influencing the Filipino youth to act to build a just and humane society.

The Philippines is one of the poorer countries in the world. Poverty in the country exists because there is a perverse uneven distribution of wealth. The rich lived extravagant lives, squandering national resources for their personal benefit. On the other hand, the poor and the marginalized sectors of the community lived in deplorable conditions. Corruption in all levels of society aggravates this poverty. However, it is simply a manifestation of a deeper problem. The kind of values people have towards self and others hinders the country to attain full development.

When people value comfort and luxury more than simplicity in lifestyle; power and fame more than humble service and respect; dominance over the environment rather than stewardship of it; then people are motivated to earn and live for themselves without regard for others’ welfare. Principles do not matter. Moreover, lack of mutual values, encourages the creation of a society that is corrupt, disunited and impoverished. To solve such harsh realities, we must strive to influence people (particularly the young ones who will be future leaders) to adopt and advocate a different set of values-- compassion, honesty, hard work, social responsibility, respect, love of country, and service to the community. This is my dream, to nurture a group of young Filipinos from the affluent sector of the society who, guided by the teachings of Jesus Christ, will commit their lives to eradicate poverty, fight social injustices and attain economic prosperity for all in whatever profession they choose and with whatever resources they have.

I am now living in another country but the purpose of my teaching stays the same. Young people in the UAE may not be living in poverty or government corruption may not be a problem, but conflict, famine, poverty and social injustice beset the greater community to which it belongs. Hence, to have a group of influential people with shared common values can make a great impact in solving these human tragedies. If people uphold and share common values, then effective implementation of concrete actions is likely to benefit all.

Formal education plays a very important role in molding the minds of young people. In today’s society where the youth faces rapidly changing and confusing norms and the family is inadequate to address these, the schools must provide needed physical, psychological and moral support. The teaching of the different disciplines must not only aim to relay information and knowledge to students. Impart values so students would effectively utilize their acquired knowledge. I believe to instruct the most brilliant minds to pursue academic excellence is commendable. However, to lose sight of instructing the heart to what is true and good, defeats the purpose of teaching in the first place.

Having said these, to be a teacher is to see students as persons who have different potentials and capacities to contribute in creating a world of unity and respect. I acknowledge that students are not only recipients of information but sources of God’s wisdom as well. Each student has unique attributes, specific needs and learning styles. Thus, my job is to motivate and inspire these students to bring out their best ideas and encourage and guide them to use these ideas effectively to benefit others.

Travel Brochure Project

This is a great group project for high school students, ages 11 and up.

Introduction
Imagine you work for a travel agency that offers travel packages to great ancient civilizations. Work with your group members to create a travel brochure advertising a visit to the ancient civilization that developed in (Mesopotamia/India/China). Create a colorful, informative brochure to entice your customers to travel back in time and visit Mesopotamia/India/ China.

Include the following information
a.Location: An explanation of the location. How would a traveler get to this place? What is the climate like?

b.Government/ Military: An overview of the region’s governmental system. Who ruled? How did he/she come to power? Were the citizens involved? Who made laws and who enforced them?

c.Religion & Culture: An overview of the religion and the religious practices of the area. What would a visitor need to know about religious customs?

d.Agriculture & Livelihood: What crops and livestock were raised in this area? Were these items used solely for survival or were they traded for other goods?

e.Contributions & Legacies: Describe cultural and scientific contributions. What are the legacies they have passed down through history? How have these gifts aided future civilizations?

f.Sources: Cite the websites used in the brochure.

Requirements
•Create a tri-fold brochure by folding a piece of white 8 1/2” x 11” paper into thirds.

•On each of the six sides, present information on a different aspect of the Indus Valley civilization.

•On the front, include a title and description of the location.

•Title the remaining five sections as: Government/ Military, Religion & Culture, Agriculture & Livelihood, Sources, Contributions & Legacies.

•Include colorful illustrations in each section.

•Use your own words. Be clear, and edit your work for proper spelling and grammar.

Project Rubric
(5 pts.-Exemplary, 4pts.-Accomplished, 3pts.-Developing, 1pt.- Beginning)

Attractiveness & Organization - The brochure has exceptionally attractive formatting and well-organized information.

Content-Accuracy - The brochure has all of the required information and some additional information

Writing-Mechanics - All of the writing is done in complete sentences. Capitalization and punctuation are correct throughout the brochure

Graphics/Pictures - The graphics go well with the text and there is a good mix of text and graphics.

Resources - There are many citations from a variety of sources accurately listed on the brochure.

Refer to this link for more ideas.

New action songs to teach MCC Kids

Spiritual Summer Camp here in Sharjah reminds me very much of my parish involvement in Mary's Children's Club. I learned "new" action songs and I want share it with those interested to teach these to young children.

Action Song #1: The Lord is My Tower by Steve Kuban

For the Lord is my Tower
And He gives me the Power
To tear down the works of the Enemy
In this difficult hour
He will crushed the Devourer
And bring the Powers of Darkness underneath my feet

Action Song # 2: Jump Into the Light

Jump, Jump, Jump! into the Light, Light, Light!
Run, run, run away from what's not right
Jump, jump, jump out of the dark, dark, dark
Run to Jesus and give Him your heart

He is the Light (3x)
The Light!
He is the Light (3x)
The Light!

Action Song # 3: My life is in you, Lord

My Life is in You, Lord
My Strength is in You, Lord
My Hope is in You, Lord
In You, it's in You

I'll praise you with all of my life
I'll praise you with all of my strength
With all of my life
With all of my strength
All my hope is in you

(Repeat Stanza 1)

Just click on the links to learn the melody. Enjoy!

Teaching Kids about Jesus

St. Michael Church in Sharjah, UAE annually conducts the Spiritual Summer Camp (SSC) as a way of catechizing young children into the Catholic faith. It started last July 11 and will end on the 24th. I volunteered as a teacher and my tasks include preparing stories and games about the lives of Mother Mary and St. Paul the Apostle. Most of the children who participated are Indians with a handful of Filipinos and other nationalities (I think).

I am convinced that this event is a perfect example of Christ's Mystical Body (One Church made of different nationalities). I'm happy to be part of this meaningful activity and I enjoy every minute of it.

The Great Depression of 1920s

The current global recession experienced reminds me of a topic in American history: The Great Depression of 1920s. Often this economic activity has political and social consequences. Widely felt as a result of the Wall Street Crash, many Americans who invested in the stock market in the promise of large future earnings and wealth, lost lifetime savings and became dependent on government rations for daily sustenance.

To better know and understand this phenomenon, additional readings must be done. Below are resources worthy to be considered. Doing so, it is hope, that a better understanding and analysis of this and its relation to the present will be made.

Some materials for use in discussing the Great Depression

http://www.historesearch.com/20sdep.html
http://history-world.org/great_depression.htm
http://history.searchbeat.com/greatdepression.htm
http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/tceh/Slouch_Crash14.html

In His Perfect Time

I got the job! I'll be teaching again!

I was thrilled to hear from the other end of the phone that the school headmistress wants to meet me. I scrambled to take a bath and get dress as I only have 40 minutes before my scheduled interview. The temperature outside at 10 a.m.indicates that it is not a good time to go out. But the school isn't that far and I was able to get a taxi immediately to get me to Sahara mall. From there, I will ride another taxi to get me to the school. Good thing it wasn't traffic and I was able to ride a taxi whose driver knows exactly where to go.

When I arrived here in Sharjah last April, I told myself that I will give teaching a break. I wanted to try out other positions that suit my interests and qualifications. But I am not so lucky. Companies and recruitment agencies are looking for someone with years of UAE experience. That, or the job is far from where we live, or the salary is not enough to sustain our basic needs here. Most of the time, it is a strong negative gut feel that makes me disinterested to pursue the job.

Also, when Filipino acquaintances asked me about my desire to practice teaching here, they were not so optimistic and instead, advice me to apply for secretarial/office staff vacancies instead. And I understood what they meant when I started browsing for teaching vacancies. Qualifications include but are not limited to: preference for native English speakers, with TOEFL or IELTS certification, has a Western university degree or someone with years of UAE experience, or IGCSE/CBSE training. If Filipinos do land jobs in schools, they usually are in the administrative/ secretarial positions or assistant teachers or helpers/nannies. Unless you're applying in schools with Philippine curriculum, I think chances of landing a teaching post will be higher. So I started to pray harder to God. I prayed that He will direct my path in finding a teaching job. In my heart I knew that teaching is my calling (although I tried to put it aside for a while), not because I don't have a choice but because it is what I like doing. I find my sense of purpose in teaching. And so I asked God to help me grow in patience and perseverance that, despite many rejections/non-responses from schools, the right job for me will come... IN HIS PERFECT TIME.

Then I got a call one late afternoon telling me that I should go to this school and be prepared to give a teaching demonstration for History. I was really thrilled and nervous at the same time! I slept late preparing for it, reading and re-reading the textbook I got as a parting gift from my co-teacher and creating and editing the PowerPoint presentation for visuals. And my husband is so supportive! He printed and photocopied my lesson plan and bought me colored cartolinas and pens on his way home from office (Now, I have more reasons to love him =)).

On the day itself, I sought God's help again. I will give my best in this demonstration, the rest is up to Him. After the demonstration, I am thrilled (again) and happy to hear that the teachers and coordinator are impressed with my lesson delivery. The History teacher, who resigned and is looking for replacement, personally congratulated me as he was impressed with me demo. So it is with the subject coordinator. Though the coordinator find my demonstration interesting (I do not know if it is the same as impressive =)), she has second thoughts about accepting me because I do not have the necessary IGCSE training. Nonetheless, she will carefully consider my application and will give me a call before their last school day.

The last school day went by without a call from the school. I was down but not hopeless. So I continued to send CVs to schools for any suitable and available positions. I gave myself until the end of June to apply for teaching posts. If not, then I will focus on applying for non-teaching positions. Then it came. At 9:38 a.m. yesterday, I got the call that brought me the great news. I was hired a teacher! I met the principal along with my new subject coordinator to discuss salary details and other benefits. I am hired on a 3-month probation period. After that time, they will again evaluate my performance and should I meet or exceed their expectations, they will employ me permanently. I am still overwhelmed with the thought! I have no IGCSE training (yet) but still they hired me! And the other details I've been praying for like salary and transportation were included! More than I hoped for!

What is significant about yesterday, June 28? In the Catholic liturgical calendar, it is the joint Feasts of Sts. Peter and Paul. It was also the day I was accepted as a History teacher. It was indeed God's Perfect Time. It is also, I believe, my Harvest Time. After two months of planting(sending CVs and attending interviews), my efforts finally paid off.

Indeed, God generously rewards His faithful servants in HIS PERFECT TIME. =)

Transformers 2 and World War I

Watching Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen gave me an idea of a possible motivational activity for a history lesson. A possible topic where this activity can be applied is in WWI (Ideal for ages 11+).

Lesson Development

A. Motivation
1. Invite students who watched the movie to share in class which scene/s in the movie they liked best.
2. Ask students what are the causes of the conflict between the
Autobots and Decepticons. Ask about the impact of such celestial
rivalry on Earth and its people.

* The teacher tabulates students' answers on the board, identifying the causes and impact.

B. Strategy
3. After the short sharing, the teacher can supply an overview of events about World War I and the countries that were involved along with their reasons for involvement.
4. Ask in what way/s is the story of the movie similar or different from WWI in terms of causes and effects?
5. Ask students their opinion: who are the Autobots and Decepticons in WWI? Why or why not?
6. How did the movie ended? How did WWI ended? Who won in WWI?
Are you convinced about the result? Why or why not?

C. Synthesis: Ask students to write an essay about the question below.
7. Relate the question with what you have learned about World War I. How far do you agree with this statement? "In war there are no real victors, only death and destruction."

Why History?

I like History.

I like reading about the lives of important personalities who shaped or influenced the world.
I like knowing and understanding other countries' cultural traditions and social norms.

I believe studying and teaching history is an important part of school curriculum.

I believe learning about the mistakes of the past makes me a better decision-maker.
I believe that studying history nurtures cultural sensitivity and understanding.
I believe studying the past helps us define or redefine our future for the better.

Because for me, teaching and learning history is about LIVING IT.